Water is a key pan-European concern for industry. Despite the vast amount of water on the planet scarce fresh water resources and water stress of aquatic ecosystems are current critical issues in Europe and the world and are the result of a myriad of interacting environmental, political, economic, and social forces. Europe is confronted with urgent challenges related to water: adapting to climate change, including mitigation of floods and droughts risks, achieving good quality of surface water, ensuring adequate availability of water to deliver multiple benefits to nature and to the economy.

The chemical industry is both a major water user and a key solution provider to the sector. It offers significant potential for increasing eco-efficiency in industrial water management in its own sector and also in other industrial sectors.

The event will focus on the results obtained during the E4Water project in terms of best practise for water management and how this can provide challenges and opportunities for the chemical sector from the six case studies that form the core of the E4Water effort. Presentations will include:

Innovative materials, process technologies, tools and methodologies for an integrated water management.

Open innovation approaches for testing innovative developments with respect to other industries.

Implementation of improved tools for process efficiency optimisation, linking water processes with production processes- and eco-efficiency assessment.

The above examples were all developed and demonstrated in the E4Water project. In addition to multiple exciting presentations related to E4Water developments, keynote presentations will give insights on industry needs and water related strategies and on European Commission activities and strategies. A get together and poster party will give participants the opportunity to discuss E4Water results and to present their own work related to integrated industrial water management. You can download the Call for Posters template document here.

The project’s main objective is to develop and test integrated approaches, methodologies and process technologies. There are six industrial case study sites at the core of E4Water that are expected to achieve a reduction of 20-40% in water use, 30-70% in waste water production, 15-40% in energy use and up to 60% in direct economic benefits. In addition to the chemical industry, the project is actively seeking opportunities for cross-fertilisation with other industrial sectors.

Water is life. As I recently stated in the journal Nature: We can all be involved the management and protection of water resources to ensure cost effectiveness of actions and to provide social and environmental benefits for all.Water Management